Children who eat breakfast at school start the day ready to learn—reflected in higher test scores and better classroom behavior. However only half of the children who eat lunch at school also eat school breakfast, according to the Food Research and Action Council.
In Kansas, that statistic is slightly lower with 47.3 low-income students participating in school breakfast for every 100 that participate in school lunch.
The 2015 National School Breakfast Week theme, “Make the Grade with School Breakfast” reminds everyone in the school community – parents, students, administrators – that a healthy school breakfast sets students up for a day of learning and academic success.
The theme will appear in school cafeterias during National School Breakfast Week, March 2-6.
“A healthy breakfast helps students focus in the classroom and perform better, but for a myriad of reasons, too many students simply skip that meal, “said Cheryl Johnson, director of Child Nutrition and Wellness at the Kansas State Department of Education. “Many of our schools are now taking innovative approaches to making sure hungry students have access to nutritious breakfast foods.”
Johnson cites several reasons why some students do not eat breakfast including not arriving at school in time and simply not being hungry first thing in the morning.
To address this, many schools are offering what are called “Grab and Go” and “Second Chance” breakfast opportunities. Some are even offering breakfast in the classroom.
